The present disclosure generally relates to appliances, and more particularly to surface lighting in an appliance.
Lighting in an appliance is typically by using a point source such as bulb. The light sources for appliances will generally include, for example, incandescent bulbs and halogen lamps. These light sources tend to reach a very high intensity and can be unpleasant to look at directly. This can be especially problematic when inspecting food on a rack in an oven or an object on a shelf in a refrigerator. Lamp style devices can also be bulky and can generate heat, which may be undesirable in certain applications, such as refrigerators or freezers.
Additionally, the bulb type light sources typically used in appliances such as refrigerators or ovens are also very difficult to diffuse evenly within the appliance. Halogen light sources are typically considered for appliance lighting. Bulbs, such as halogen bulbs, will typically mounted behind a heavily diffused glass lens. In an oven application, this type of assembly has limitations on distributing the light to certain rack positions. Additionally, halogen lighting is not the most energy efficient, and the bulbs have a limited lifespan.
Light sources, such as light emitting diodes or LEDs, are being considered as alternative to bulb style lighting due to their energy efficiency and reduced heat output. However, LEDs are sensitive to temperature and need to be kept in a cool environment. Thus, LED lighting applications in appliances, such as an oven, become difficult to manage.
It would be advantageous to be able to diffuse light evenly in an appliance. It would also be advantageous to be able to control the light intensity in various areas of an appliance. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a system that addresses at least some of the problems identified above.